Jean-Philippe Rameau is a complex historical figure: He was, late in life, the foremost French opera composer of the 18th Century; his Treatise on Harmony is a foundational text in music theory; and he had a long-running public dispute with the famed philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
Lost in all this may be his keyboard works which, for harpsichordists, are among the great repertory treasures -- wide in scope and extremely difficult to perform well. Gilbert Martinez, of MusicSources, who has just finished an edition of these works, will perform them complete over two concerts this weekend, on Saturday and Sunday. If you are curious, or if you are a serious admirer of this under-performed composer, this is your chance (probably your only chance) to hear all these fabulous pieces, which veer from the danceable to the fantastical in unpredictable succession.